Compared to much of the rest of the country, California winters might be considered downright mild- but they're not without their challenges. The days are shorter, the nights are cooler, the rain and fog seem nonstop, and don't tell anyone, but the temperatures can even dip below freezing. Life in the garden simply isn't as action-packed this time of year -- but that doesn't mean there's no fun to be had. To help prevent my fellow gardeners from going stir-crazy, I've compiled a list of ways to keep your garden healthy and happy all winter long.

Plant Your Cool-Season Vegetables
This one is the most exciting to me! Just when you're mourning the end of tomato season, you remember that it's time to plant cauliflower, onions, fennel, kale, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, chards, arugula, and most other greens. No more buying a pre-washed bag of arugula every day! You'll grow your own. Just remember, you'll want your cool-season crops to grow in cool weather only to avoid bitterness, so get them in the ground or pots now. Follow the planting instructions on your seed packets (usually there are two sets of instructions, one for fall planting/winter harvest and one for late-winter planting/late spring harvest -- you'll want to pay attention to the former) and don't despair if there are brief periods of freezing temperatures and frost. My chards, chois, and kales are thriving after a few chilly nights that killed off less-hardy plants.

Get Bulbs Into The Ground
California's milder winters mean that there are many bulbs to choose from -- but if your area's winter is too mild, your bulbs will need a little help from the fridge. Emulate the chill that the rest of the country is experiencing by storing your crocus, tulip, freesia, and iris bulb in the refrigerator for a month or two, only planting them in November (or later), when the temperatures have cooled. In Southern California, the rule of thumb is to plant your bulbs the day after Christmas -- a lovely tradition!

Put Your Roses To Sleep
Without a proper chill, many rose bushes in California will remain active -- so you'll need to help put them to bed. According to California Garden Clubs, spraying your roses now with a dormant spray will help them maintain a proper cycle throughout the year, as well eliminating disease spores and harmful insect eggs. You'll also want to keep your precious plants free of mildew-encouraging dead leaves. In a few months, "prune after the last possible hint of freezing temps -- or in January for coastal and lowland gardeners."

Mulch, Mulch, MulchThe University of California Sustainable and Fire Safe Landscape division shares many reasons why Southern California gardeners should mulch thoroughly, including erosion prevention, fire hazard reduction, and weed control. I would never think of "help discourage destructive fires" as one of my gardening chores, but it's so nice to do we can all do our part to help. If you happen to have any plants that were killed by frost (or any other mysterious garden reason), be sure to trim the dead matter away so it doesn't become fuel in case there is a fire. In cooler, wetter Northern California, mulch protects roots from fluctuating temperatures and prevents erosion, especially in the rainiest areas.

Make Notes For Next Year
Of course we'll all remember what we'd like to do differently next year, but just in case we forget, now is the perfect time to make notes. Mine would include:

Plant more cherry/grape tomatoes! I eat them by the handful in a way I would never snack on larger slicing tomatoes.

Plant more broccoli. I have always been a broccoli fiend, but garden broccoli is a million times tastier than any I've ever had.

Get cold weather crops in the ground sooner rather than later. Even just an extra week or two can protect delicate plants from surprise frosts.

When freezing temperatures are predicted (even just at freezing), harvest all tomatoes. One chilly night can destroy them all.

Harvest strawberries more vigilantly. It seemed like the strawberries would never end so most days I only picked enough for my morning bowl of cereal. Now I dearly wish I had a freezer full of berries and jars of jam.

Make more pesto. A basil plant in full force is a thing of beauty -- especially considering a little sprig costs $3 at the grocery store. The pesto I froze has kept beautifully. I only wish I had 10 times as much.

Observe Your Winter Garden
Even if your winter is mild, your garden won't be as exuberant as it is the rest of the year. Take time to observe it in its low-key state, and think about what you'd like to do differently for next winter. Perhaps plant a few shrubs with bright autumn foliage or cheerful winter berries? Notice any dead spots in your garden and consider adding some of these to keep you company next winter:

Manzanita arctostaphylos flowers in December/January and holds its delicate pink-edged blooms through the spring.

California Buckwheat (Eriogonum fasciculatum foliolosum) also holds onto its flowers all winter, and is hardy to -10ºF.

Snowberries (Symphoricarpos) provide a touch of bright winter white, especially great if you don't get any actual snow.

Dutchman's Pipe (Aristolochia californica) will fascinate you all winter long with its heart-shaped leaves and purple-striped pipe-shaped flowers.

The bright red berries of California holly (Heteromeles) provide food for birds all winter -- and can be used to make jelly!

Start Making Your Dream Seeds & Starts List
Oh, packets of seeds are so cheap! And yet the total in my cart is already over $100? Such is the magic of Seed Catalogue Math. To be sure you order what you want without wasting money, start your wishlist now and edit throughout the winter. Sometime around January you might realize you don't need five different types of Thai basil and every color of tulip. On the other hand, you might discover a new green at a restaurant that you absolutely must grow, or maybe you'll remember how much joy dahlias brought you last summer and devote your entire garden to them. The Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds catalogue is a great place to start scheming and daydreaming -- they have 10 varieties of radicchio and 37 kinds of cucumbers! You'll need at least until February to narrow it down to 2 or 3.

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Posted 8 Ways to Use California Sumac for the Holidays to Home & Gardentag:www.kcet.org,2013:/living/homegarden//2185.650252013-11-05T21:08:47Z2014-12-17T20:55:40ZLemonade, jelly, wreaths, and more from California's most versatile native shrub. You can even plant it in your garden, as it's native and drought- and frost-tolerant.Tess Wilsonhttp://www.kcet.org/cgi-bin/mt/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=view&blog_id=2185&id=16464

Among California's many riches are two remarkable native plants, Rhus integrifolia and Rhus ovata, both known as sumac. Along with many of the 250 other sumacs, our local varieties feature generous clusters of vibrant red berries, plentiful green leaves that turn bright red in the fall, and an incredible variety of applications including ornaments, dye, candle wax, pipe-making, leather-tanning, spices, and so much more. Just so you know, there is a plant known as Poison Sumac (Toxicodendron vernix) that bears a passing resemblance to true sumac. It primarily grows in the eastern half of the United States, but I wanted you to be warned as every part of that plant is toxic. Thankfully, our native California sumacs are not only non-toxic, they're delicious! Let's explore the many uses of sumac, from your garden to your table...

Online AthensRhus intergrifolia is an ideal garden plant: deer-resistant, popular with birds and butterflies, and requiring little water during the hot summer. And if a winter frost knocks it out of commission, you can expect it to have grow back by the next summer. The berry heads (also referred to as bobs, drupes, and fruit) are deep red even when the leaves are still green, providing a flash of color to summer gardens. And then when fall comes along...

Tess Wilson
Bam! I recently had the chance to visit a sumac-full prairie, and it was blazing red as far as the eye could see. Can you imagine how vibrant even just one sumac shrub would look in your yard? It simply glows in the autumn.

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Quince & Quire demonstrates how wonderfully sumac contributes to a rich fall wreath. They took a simple metal wreath frame and wove it with burdock, rose hips, dried astilbe, grasses, asters, dusty miller, and berry-heavy sumac heads. This would be the perfect sort of thing to welcome Thanksgiving guests to your home.

Flowers By Busy B has created quite a few arrangements using sumac, including the ones above featuring hellebores, Icelandic poppies, Japanese spirea, jasmine, and anemones. Gorgeous!

One sumac native to California, Rhus integrifolia, is commonly known as lemonade berry or lemonade sumac -- and the reason why is clear. Chicks In The Road has very thorough instructions for making what they refer to as "the best lemonade ever." All you need are sumac berries or drupes, jars, water, a little sugar, a strainer, and a few hours!

If you'd like to go one step further and make sumac jelly, simply make a super-concentrated sumac infusion by continuously soaking fresh sumac in the same water, then follow Eat The Weeds' recipe. The lovely jars shown above were made by Summer Of Funner, who has some insight into the sumac jelly process.

The Kitchn has rounded up several great recipes featuring sumac, along with a ton of reader suggestions. Sumac is a key ingredient in za'atar, that fascinating combination of oregano, sesame seeds, marjoram, cumin, salt, sumac, and thyme or the eponymous za'atar. I especially love it on hummus and on tomato & chickpea flatbread.

This last one might be a stretch, even for the most devoted sumac fans out there. The oil in sumac seeds can be made into a candle wax, and companies like Japan's Isobe Rosoku-ten remain devoted to this hundreds-years-old tradition.

(All images as linked above.)

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Posted Why Work From Home When You Can Co-Work? to Home & Gardentag:www.kcet.org,2013:/living/homegarden//2185.615882013-08-20T19:00:29Z2013-08-22T18:48:52ZSan Francisco's Makeshift Society may signal the rise of co-working spaces.Tess Wilsonhttp://www.kcet.org/cgi-bin/mt/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=view&blog_id=2185&id=16464

Rena Tom is so multi-talented I'm not even sure what job description to give her. She is a jewelry designer and graphic designer, she opened the amazing Rare Device in Brooklyn and then partnered with artist Lisa Congdon to open a San Francisco branch, she's a business strategist whose blog is an essential read for anyone in creative fields (especially those who are self-employed), and she's the Market Editor of the fabulous Anthology Magazine. It is only natural, then, that Rena founded Makeshift Society, "San Francisco's first coworking space/clubhouse for creative freelancers." It is a stylish, light-filled space full of books and tools and craft materials, it's a perfect venue for classes and seminars and mixers, and it's "an organization for those who crave camaraderie to fuel their creativity." Rena has generously taken time out of her busy schedule to answer my questions about the beauty of co-working..

Is there a common factor that leads people to utilize a coworking space, such as simply not having space at home, lack of space/money for all the resources they might need, or needing a workspace separate from family?

It varies quite a bit, actually. In San Francisco, space is certainly a concern. A lot of our members have roommates or families, and they find they can't get work done at home. Some of our members are just intrigued by what we offer, and choose to work a day a week with us, just to stay connected with the community.

Did you primarily work from home before founding Makeshift Society, and do you primarily work from the clubhouse now? If so, how do you feel this has changed your homelife and family dynamic?

It's funny; I work every day at Makeshift and I haven't done such a traditional "commute" since I had a full-time job! I used to work at home, and then when we got a nanny for my son, I found I still couldn't get anything done there, so I rented space at Workshop during the days. I got lonely, though, and that led to Makeshift.

I still work at home, but after Ivo goes to bed. The biggest change is that he knows I do work at an office and is pretty nonchalant about me leaving the house, and even being away on business trips. Work, for him, is a natural thing for mom to go do, and not something he gets mad at me for taking up what he thinks of as his playtime.

I loved what you said in your TYPO presentation: "Where you work can influence not only how you work, but who you are. Modern workers, who are always on, still need to learn how to be. If we provide different kinds of spaces so that at any given moment you can choose to sit by yourself at a desk, on a couch with one other person, in a conference room with a group, or coffee shop-style at a communal table, that can help shape the texture and the output of your day." This, to me, is one of the major advantages a coworking space has over working-from-home: most of us who work from home have to shoehorn the work into the home, using the kitchen table as desk or the living room as office. There's usually only one less-than-ideal spot for working, rather than many options! Do you see people cycle through your various workspace options throughout the day? Have you noticed that the couch is conducive to different types of work than, say, the communal table?

I really think people choose where they sit quite carefully, and some people do end up moving around. Soft surfaces lead to slumping and casual activities (reading, texting, checking Facebook, napping) a little more than the folks who need a table (typing, using a tablet and stylus, etc). Round tables and couches lead to intimate collaboration, whereas people head to head at the desks are doing intense work on the same project but without needing to talk to each other.

If you're visiting somewhere without coworking options, what are your favorite types of places to gain camaraderie to fuel creativity and the proximity that can stimulate productivity?

I tend to default to a cafe' when I'm out of town, or sometimes the library. Actually, just being somewhere new (a hotel, a friend's house) is enough to spark different kinds of work, for me! I focus more on my work itself when I'm on the computer, but then disengage more fully and enjoy random encounters at restaurants and parties more.

In your TYPO presentation you also said, "If you normally work at home, coming in to sit with other people is a deliberate act - of spending money on a membership, of putting pants on that day and getting out of the house, of doing what you said you'd do." How crucial do you feel this getting-out-of-the-house factor is for your members' creativity, productivity, and general well-being?

I really think this is the main reason for joining. The social club aspect of what we do can't be overlooked. Some members save specific kinds of work to do when they're at the clubhouse, work they can't get done anywhere else. Others tell me they missed coming in during their weeks away, even if it was for a vacation!

I like to watch House Hunters when I'm on the elliptical machine at the gym, and I've noticed that so many people these days have "Home Office" on their must-have list. How does membership at a coworking space such as Makeshift Society compare to the cost of renting/buying a home with essentially an extra bedroom? What other financial burdens (high-speed internet, etc) can a membership take care of?

I think that varies so much around the country that I'm hesitant to try to answer it. I can tell you that splitting costs is almost always a good idea, though. When you spend on a membership, you are paying for "desk space" but also the desk and chair itself, the utilities, office equipment, food and drink in some instances, someone on staff to answer questions and make sure the bathroom's stocked with TP, and networking with the other members, which is the true intangible. Yes, you may have to pay for parking and gas, but a surprising lot of our members are car-free, which also keeps the costs down.

Thanks so much, Rena, and thanks to @makeshiftsoc for the pretty pictures!

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Posted San Francisco's Most Interesting Coffee and Sweets Shops to Traveltag:www.kcet.org,2013:/living/travel//2184.614042013-08-14T21:52:33Z2013-08-20T19:45:16ZTokyo-based photographer Miki Usui shares her insights on the most delicious and beautifully-designed spots in San Francisco.Tess Wilsonhttp://www.kcet.org/cgi-bin/mt/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=view&blog_id=2184&id=16464

What inspired you to create Sweets Shop And Coffee Shop Design In San Francisco?
I lived in San Francisco from June 2008 to September 2010, and now I visit quite a bit.
When I lived in San Francisco, I always went to coffee shops and sweet shops
because I wrote regular article for a food magazine in Tokyo ... and because I am a coffee lover and have a sweet tooth ... I think there are many fantastic independent stores in San Francisco, and the owners have their own philosophies. They totally designed their own stores, including logo, interior, food, menu, place, people and atmosphere ... so everything. They create so freely. I think they might inspire the readers in Japan, and I thought I should create this book!

Is there a quality that sets San Francisco sweet/coffee shop design apart from that in other cities?
I travel a lot and I know there are many good sweet/coffee shops in the world. But I think San Francisco is special, it's a great city for foodies. Though it's a small city, there are many good places, high density! And they are not too fancy but real-life. That's why San Francisco is my favorite city in the world.

Now that you're back in Japan, is there a San Francisco treat that you miss the most and can't stop thinking about? Were you able to take anything back with you?
I sometimes visit San Francisco now, and I always go to grocery stores there for buying my favorite San Franciscan sweets and coffee beans ... I can remember now, one item -- I miss the big bag of 99% cacao chocolate by TCHO. It is really dark but tasty. I can not come across chocolate like this in Tokyo.

What was your favorite drink you tried during all your shop research?
I am a coffee lover! Love paper filter coffee, fresh single origin beans, and black!

If someone was visiting San Francisco for the weekend, what stops would you recommend they squeeze in?
Depends. If they will have enough time, all places in my book! If they will not have enough time, I recommend the Mission area.

Is there a shop you weren't able to visit that you're dying to stop by next time you're in San Francisco? Dandelion Chocolate, Schulzies Bread Pudding, and so on ... too many new places in San Francisco and the East Bay!

What are the most exciting trends you see happening in sweet/coffee shop design?
It is difficult to say in English ... more local, more community. By the way, many stores have food truck now. Before it went food truck, then their own shop, now it's their own shop, then food truck. It's fun! It's good for communities? Maybe Off The Grid did a good job?

Did you see any design ideas that you'd like to incorporate into your own home?
I use glass jars (Ball, Mason, and so on) for drinking water, coffee, juice, and wine.
Some of the coffee shops and sweet shops in SF always do it. The atmosphere in my kitchen is really San Franciscan.

The cover illustration of Miette Confiserie by Paul Madonna is very near & dear to my heart, as I worked there for 3 years AND I love his work. How did you two get together for this project? Is there something you'd like to work on with him in the future?

Thank you very much! I love this cover very much. When I lived in San Francisco I came across Paul Madonna's works on the San Francisco Chronicle. I loved it very much. And I bought his first book All Over Coffee at a bookstore. And then I met him at his studio on the studio opening day. So from that day, we were keeping in touch. About this project, last summer I offered this job to him. Actually I had a image of the cover of my book from the beginning. It was his. The mood of his illustration is really San Francisco, free and intelligent! And he said yes! I was so happy!

We were talking about the object, because we have a lot of options, you know.
And we chose Miette, because of the color. We need color!

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Posted 6 Ways To Showcase Dahlias This Summer to Home & Gardentag:www.kcet.org,2013:/living/homegarden//2185.616182013-07-22T18:38:43Z2013-07-25T23:53:49ZMake dahlias the centerpiece of any and all bouquets this summer.Tess Wilsonhttp://www.kcet.org/cgi-bin/mt/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=view&blog_id=2185&id=16464

Oh, the glory of dahlia season, when pompoms of petals the size of your fist are cheap and plentiful and at their very best! Whether you have dahlias growing in your garden or simply scored a cheap bunch at the farmers' market, you'll want to make the most of this summer stunner. Create a few arrangements for yourself or share the wealth and give them as host/hostess gifts everywhere you go.

In this first arrangement, I combined burgundy dahlias with petite alliums, alien-esque Nigella (the pale green spiky pods streaked with burgundy), side oats grass, and purple fountain grass to create a prairie-like look. Any cool grasses, seeds, and pods you have access to could be used for a similar effect.

Here we have a celebration of dahlias, dahlias, and only dahlias. This type of arrangement is simple but slow to make: remove the leaves from hundreds of stems of dahlias, hold one stem in your dominant hand and place another stem next to it using the other hand. Continue adding stems around the initial one, creating ever-expanding concentric circles. You're creating mass outward but also downward, the shape of the flowers naturally lending themselves to a pompon-like formation. Once your bunch is even and your dahlias are all used up, rubberband the stems, trim them evenly, place in a vase, and prepare to be punched in the face by dahlias every time you walk in the room.

This next arrangement requires some serendipitous timing- finding dahlias and peonies in season at the same time- but you could easily substitute another lushly petaled flower such as garden roses or double tulips for the peonies. Sweet peas fill in the spaces between the larger blooms and create a fluffy, graceful edge where the arrangement meets the vase.

A fiery variety of crocosmia winds itself through and around this arrangement of bright orange dahlias, yellow craspedias ("billy buttons"), and spiky achiote pods ("lipstick tree"). Once again, these specific elements aren't necessary: any pods or balls with interesting textures will contrast nicely with the dahlias' flurry of petals. Thistles, scabiosa pods, or horse chestnuts could also work well.

Arching, vining crocosmia is once again used here, this time with deep, dark dahlias and bright orange ranunculus. The incredibly bright ranunculus pop against the nearly-black background, with the crocosmia providing a link between the two. Bright freesias or anemones (especially with their black center) would be excellent here as well.

Finally, we have a casual little bouquet I put together for a friend I was meeting for burritos. Black ornamental peppers and acid green unripe rose hips lend an edginess to burgundy dahlias, fuchsia carnations, and hot pink clovers. I wrapped the bunch in a page from a French fashion magazine and tied it up with a little piece of black satin ribbon. Voilá!

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Posted Plant Turnips Now For An Autumn Räebelichtli Umzug (That's A Turnip Lantern Festival!) to Home & Gardentag:www.kcet.org,2013:/living/homegarden//2185.612632013-07-22T17:33:55Z2013-07-23T22:56:58ZThe most fun you'll ever have with a root vegetable.Tess Wilsonhttp://www.kcet.org/cgi-bin/mt/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=view&blog_id=2185&id=16464

During the height of summer, it's easy to forget that autumn will ever come around again. But it surely will, so a little planning ahead can be a garden saver when the days get shorter and chillier. Right now in July, you can prepare to make the damp, dark days of fall a little brighter with turnip lanterns, a Swiss tradition: children carve fanciful designs into turnips (with a little help from adults), allowing the light to glow through. Called Räebelichtli, they are carried in a parade on November 11th to celebrate St. Martin's Day, but they're festive all season long. Everyone will have carved pumpkins this fall, but if you get to work now your fabulous Räebelichtli will be the envy of the neighborhood. Plus, you'll have plenty of turnips and turnip greens to eat!

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, located in a beautiful old bank building in Petaluma, has an excellent selection of turnip seeds. If you're gardening by the moon calendar (and I don't see why you wouldn't, because that sounds really fun), the Farmers' Almanac recommends July 25-27 and August 4-5 as ideal days for planting turnips. According to the National Gardening Association, turnips planted from seed will be ready to harvest in approximately two months, so plant accordingly. You'll want to sow the seeds in a well-drained spot with full sun and tilled, compost-enriched soil. Sprinkle the seeds and cover with 1/2 inch of dirt, then water generously once a week. Though our focus is optimum autumn turnips, Farmgirl Fare has some great tips for extending your turnip season year-round.

If you plant today, you're a couple months away from making lanterns, but it's never too early to start planing your design. Zoë Zürich Zlog created a snowflake-like design, with strings for easy hanging.

The Mucky MacBook, written by a New Zealand ex-pat living in Switzerland, features some delicately carved New Zealand-inspired turnips including a kiwi bird, a Pohutukawa flower (above), a silver fern (below), and the country itself. There's also a short-and-sweet tutorial for carving the lanterns.

For a bit more guidance, MAKE has an elaborate how-to for turnip lanterns, including the valuable tip that battery-operated tea lights work better for turnips, as their small size makes it difficult for oxygen to enter and keep a traditional candle lit. Lou Cuthbertson of Fathom's Expat Chronicles helped carve lanterns for her children's first Räebelichtli Umzug. She couldn't acquire the hoped-for linocutter, "so I had to make do with a potato peeler and an apple corer. Which both broke by the way. Eventually I asked the school headmaster for help. He gave me a melon baller. Turns out, this is the tool of the trade." Get yourself a melon baller!

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Posted National Treasures: A Feast Of All-American Foods For The 4th to Foodtag:www.kcet.org,2013:/living/food//1240.613992013-06-28T19:31:00Z2013-07-09T20:22:55ZGorgeous ingredients native to North America come together in party-perfect dishes.Tess Wilsonhttp://www.kcet.org/cgi-bin/mt/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=view&blog_id=1240&id=16464

This 4th of July, celebrate America's birthday by celebrating its bounty. If you're throwing a cook-out or attending a picnic, making a dish based on fruits, vegetables, and grains native to North America can help deepen the meaning of the day, while adding a fruited plain's worth of deliciousness. While many native North American foods are associated with autumnal dishes and Thanksgiving (pumpkin pie, cranberry sauce, wild rice stuffing), I've gathered all the most summery recipes featuring the land's best. And though I haven't yet made most of these recipes myself, they're all from my most-trusted sources.

Wild Rice, Pecans, Cranberries, Concord Grapes:The Barefoot Contessa's Wild Rice Salad is best served at room temperature (making your life easier) and contains a whopping four native North American foods ... if you substitute Concord grapes for green grapes, which I highly recommend you do.

Pole Beans: This is the easiest recipe of the bunch: Sarah's Cucina Bella pole beans marinated in Italian dressing for a few hours, and then thrown on the grill. Apparently, they're as fabulous as they are foolproof.

Sunflowers, Tomatoes: If any of your guests are vegan or lactose-intolerant, they'll adore you for making The Post-Punk Kitchen's Sunflower Mac, a sunflower seed-based version of everyone's favorite, macaroni & cheese.

Mulberries, Pecans: My parents have two mulberry trees that I might have to raid next time I visit so I can make Chef's Table Mulberry and Pecan Bread Pudding, featured on The Kitchn's mulberry roundup. Bonus points for the all-American bourbon sauce!

Corn, Chives: One of the native North American foods that surprised me the most was chives -- I guess I'd never thought about where they came from, or considered them exotic. They are a lovely addition to a breakfast of bagels and cream cheese, or you could really live it up with Smitten Kitchen's Corn, Buttermilk, and Chive Popovers. These are best eaten when hot, so I recommend them for a nice breakfast (or lunch or dinner) at home.

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Posted Oh, California!: Quintessential Golden State Moments to Livingtag:www.kcet.org,2013:/living/stories//2187.612642013-06-27T18:00:02Z2013-07-01T20:00:47ZThis Midwestern girl never stops marveling at California's Californianess.Tess Wilsonhttp://www.kcet.org/cgi-bin/mt/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=view&blog_id=2187&id=16464
Chicago will always be my home, sweet home, but these past eight years in California have been so full of marvels, so jam-packed with fun and fascination -- well, this place become home as well. California has impressed me, amazed me, dumbfounded me, and kept me on my toes everyday. It's true what they say: nothing comes close to the golden coast! Here are a few little stories about experiences that felt, at least to me, an outsider, so California...

The First Time I Saw Pomegranates Growing Shortly after moving to San Francisco, I was walking from the Mission to the Castro home of my friend Cheri (a floral designer for Taste Catering), enjoying all the little peeks into people's gardens. In one, I was amazed to spot a petite tree heavy with pomegranates, and rushed to tell Cheri and her roommates. California girls one and all, they were less than impressed. "And?..." I thought it best not to tell them how giddy I'd been a month earlier when I saw a lemon tree for the first time..

The First Time I Smelled A Eucalyptus Tree While on our way up to Twin Peaks the other day, a visiting friend from Illinois asked if I remembered the first moment I was aware of all the eucalyptus trees growing around town. I did! It was about a year after I moved to San Francisco, and as I approached Miette Confiserie, where I was working at the time, the air was thick with the smell of something menthol-like. Had a tanker truck of Vick's VapoRub overturned in Hayes Valley? Hours later when I popped around the corner on an errand, I saw the cause: a storm the night before had knocked an enormous limb from a eucalyptus tree, and it remained on the sidewalk. I couldn't believe how powerful the scent was, how it permeated the air. I'm transported back to that day every time I smell eucalyptus.

Seeing A Magnolia Tree In Bloom On Christmas Eve Last year, I was able to travel home at Christmas, a rare opportunity in my chosen fields of pastry and flowers. As I ran my last-minute errands on December 24th before catching my flight, I walked under a magnolia tree loaded with dinner plate-sized blossoms. My parents have a magnolia tree in their front yard, and its blooming is quite an event, signaling the end (we always hope) of another long, hard Chicago winter. To see one blooming so outrageously as I prepared to join my loved ones in -19ºF weather was a little California Christmas treat just for me.

We're Not Closed, I Promise Over the years, I've worked in a lot of shops: bakeries, florists, grocery stores, gift shops, art galleries, and candy shops, in five cities in four states. Only in California does the following happen: the shop door is closed due to inclement weather, but the lights are on, music is playing, I'm working, customers are shopping, it's during the posted business hours, and the Open sign says "Open." Every single new customer that comes along will see the closed shop door and either turn away (leaving me to run out and catch them) or pop their head in and say "Oh, you're closed." Not closed, just cold! At first this local quirk drove me crazy -- after all, customers are an essential and fun part of working in a shop -- but now I find it endearing, if a bit mysterious. Any insight would be welcome!

Gorgeous Local Produce, Year-Round I've been spoiled forever by the produce I've had access to here. A friend of mine in Chicago gets a CSA box, and when I visited her last spring, I asked what kind of goodies she'd been getting. "Lettuce, pretty much just lettuce. But it's really nice lettuce." I didn't have the heart to tell her about the wonders available at our farmers' markets every month of the year, or a little something called "local avocados." It would have been too cruel.

"I'm Designing An Electronic Bracelet For Babies" That's pretty much the whole story. A customer at Birch, where I was doing floral design, announced that to me, unprompted. All I could think was "Oh, California..."

Time Travel In The Redwoods The first time I visited the redwood forests was 10 years ago, on a road trip down from Portland. I will never forget the feeling of walking into another time, an ancient untouched world where I was dwarfed by ferns; don't even get me started on the trees. It was a magical, peaceful moment, one I wish everyone got to experience. But even if a trip to Redwood National Park isn't possible, a quick visit to Muir Woods can offer a taste of that magic. Sure, there's a gift shop and you'll have lots of company on the trail, but it's still utterly astounding. I was able to visit Muir Woods with my parents recently, and they were so moved. They shook all the park rangers' hands, telling them, "We were at the very first Earth Day and it's a dream come true to be here. Thank you." Redwoods, even redwoods right down the road, are the biggest and possibly best only-in-California example I can think of.

Besides sparkly clean glassware and a few choice bottles, fresh ingredients are perhaps the most important components of a perfect cocktail. Adding a sprig of rosemary to a drink might not seem worth the $2.49 you'll pay at the grocery store, but the deliciousness it adds is priceless -- and nearly free if you grow it yourself. I've compiled my favorite garden-fresh cocktail components you can grow yourself, and my favorite ways to showcase them.

Blackberries: If you're interested in planting blackberries, DIY Network has a thorough tutorial, but it seems like I usually hear about people battling their blackberries rather than having to encourage them. Braving the brambles will be totally worth it once you've turned the juicy jewels into 101 Cookbook's Chile Blackberry Syrup and/or Blackberry Limeade. The limeade is conveniently virgin, making it easy to substitute Prosecco for the called-for ginger ale.

Basil & Strawberries: Of the pressés presented by KCET earlier this summer, the one that sounds the most irresistible to me is the Paradise Pressé, made with fresh strawberry juice and garnished with strawberry slices and basil.

Tomatoes & Basil: I drank an Early Girl (named after an heirloom tomato) cocktail at San Francisco's NoPa one summer evening five years ago, and I haven't stopped thinking about it since. I even made a batch for a friend's birthday party one year using NoPa bartender Neyah White's recipe. The results were spot-on, but the price of grocery store tomatoes made each cocktail about the same price we would have paid at the restaurant. But if you grow your own Early Girls...

Thai Basil: Last summer's garden presented me with my first unlimited access to Thai basil, an experience I'm hoping to repeat. It was an essential component of near-daily stir-fries, spruced up my Cucumber Gimlets, and made even ice water more exciting, but this year I'd like to showcase it in the New York Times' Thai Basil Bliss.

Cucumbers: In the right conditions -- warm but not hot weather, plenty of water and sun, raised beds, and rich, well-weeded soil, according to Organic Gardening -- cucumbers can grow like mad. After you've put up your first batch of pickles, celebrate with a Cucumber Gimlet like this one from They Might Be Giants(!). They recommend using a high-powered juicer, but I've thrown all of the ingredients into a regular old blender, with fantastic results.

Lavender: I'm a huge fan of the gin-based cocktail The Bee's Knees, as well as its mezcal counterpoint, The Killer Bee. For a little something special, gather lavender from your garden (or grab some that you dried last year) and shake up a few of Honestly Yum's Lavender Bee's Knees (shown above).

Lemon Verbena: A little lemon verbena in the garden can go a long way. I like to add sprigs of it to sparkling water, but after that I'm stumped. If you have a surplus, I highly recommend making Heidi Swanson's Lemon Verbena Drop, which utilizes house-infused vodka.

Rose: If you like floral flavors (I don't, but some of my best friends do) the Raspberry Rose Fizz from Honestly Yum is for you. Pluck some rose petals (and some raspberries?) from your garden for the prettiest pink drink around.

Rosemary: If you're lucky enough to have one of those monstrous rosemary bushes, making a batch of Food 52's Rosemary Gin Cocktails won't even put a dent in it.

Blood Orange: Warm, sunny days and cool nights are the perfect conditions for the blood oranges that grow so beautifully in California. They'll brighten up your winter garden and your Blood Orange Gin Sparklers.